Wall-forming structure



March 23, 1965 D. J. vALsvxK I 3,174,191

WALL-FORMING STRUCTURE Filed June 2, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 35 Y/ 3,46! 73? l/ 1 35 f@ ----f---l--n--fw f3 f2 4 .J4 30 251 nig. 17:92

eef g 5 z i' 30 /79 liti rzzeg 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 22 26 7g Q-X/ Y D. J. vALsyjlK WALL-FORMING STRUCTURE w w W rv @bww @Va mj al m2 M laA MM 5 J5 9 M6 L l rl ,yf a 2 (3 (P0 Qd 5 3 kw wwmmw March 23, 1965 Filed June 2, 1961 United States Patent 3,174,191 WALL-FORMING STRUCTURE Donald J. Valsvik. Stillwater, Minn., assigner to Wood Conversion Company, St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 2, 1961, Ser. No. 114,433 1 Claim. (Ci. 20-4) The present invention relates generally to Walls, and in particular, to a Wall-forming component which combines a structural panel portion of a Wall and thermal insulat- Iing means for the wall.

The present application is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 69,445, filed November l5, 1960. Said application describes a wall-forming panel of rigid structural material which is secured to spaced parallel structural elements defining a partition, and which carries insulation so present in the panel that it fits into the space between said structural elements to which the panel is secured.

As specifically illustrated therein, the panel may be sheathing and the parallel structural elements may be wall-forming studs. The panel may have a dimension to span two or more spaces between such studs. A particular feature of the invention in said application is that an air space provides the insulation, and is formed from a cut and scored blank of sheet material into a collapsible structure providing a panel-portion thereof which spans an inter-stud space at a distance removed from the rigid panel, thereby providing an intervening insulating air space. Said panel-port-ion is carried by side portions which are foldably secured to the face of the rigid panel and arranged to fold toward each other in collapsing the sheet structure to position its parts flatwise against the face of the rigid panel.

The present invention provides not only improvement in the relation of the collapsible structure to the rigid panels, but also an improved unit which can be prefabricated to specifications, collapsed, shipped fiat in a multiple stack thereof, set-up from collapsed to insulating form, and placed in a predetermined location.

It is a particular object of the invention to provide a structural panel with said collapsible insulation carried by it in such position that after setting-up the insulation, the unit exhibits face portions ready for nailed contact to studs and to the plates and headers at the ends of the inter-stud spaces.

Although it is preferred that the invention be embodied with a panel of sheathing for application to the exterior face of a stud-frame, it is to be understood that the invention may embody a rigid panel, such as plaster-base, to be applied to the interior face of a stud-frame. I-n the accompanying drawings, the invention is illustrated by the preferred use of sheathing material, without any intention so to limit the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a plan view of one end of a blank of sheet material to be mounted on a rigid panel.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-section of the sheet material illustrating paper with reflective metal foil facing.

FIG. 3 is a cross-section on line 3 3 of FIG. l as it is folded to the lform to be secured to the panel, and as seen on line 2 2 of FIG. 7.

ICC

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-section on the lines 4 4 of FIGS. 1 and 7 with the parts in FIG. l folded to the form when secured to a panel as shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 5 is an end view of a panel to span two interstud spaces showing two blanks according to FIG. 1 secured to the panel and partially folded toward at form onto the panel.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing in crosssection the structure of FIG. 5 mounted to three studs of a wall.

FIG. 7 is a broken plan view of the structure of FIG. 5 fully opened to the position of FIG. 6, showing at the left the unsecured ends, and showing at the right the corresponding ends yfolded and secured to the panel.

FIG. 8 is a cross-section on line 8 8 of FIG. 7 showing the panel with folded ends, a stud and the plate and header.

FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 show Iin cross-section separate and modified end-closures for the insulating space formed by the structure of FIG. l with the panel carrying it.

FIG. 12 shows a separate end-closure as used in FIGS. 9, l0 and l1.

FIG. 13 shows crossssection of a modified form of foldable sheet structure secured to a panel differently than in FIG. 1.

FIG. 14 is a modified form of the upper left hand corner of FIG. l showing a different construction to provide the in-folding tab.

FIG. 1 illustrates a blank sheet of foldable material which, for the purposes of more efficient insulation, is reective on both faces. Such material is readily supplied by thin sheets of aluminum foil 1t) and 11 (FIG. 2) adhesively united to heavy paper, such as a l0-pound kraft sheet 12. The sheet material is generally designated by the numeral 13 elsewhere in the drawings.

In FIG. 1, the sheet 13 is provided in parallel-sided strips having side edges 15 a-nd 17.

It is suitably scored for folding flat onto a carrying panel. This may be done as described in my said copending application, but it is preferred to fold it with cross-sections which are parallelograrns (see FIG. 13). Accordingly, it has a flat scored form shown in FIG. l wherein the Width or unscored main .panel 19 is the width of the inter-stud face to be occupied. The score-lines 20 and 21 form side mounting flanges 22 and 23, which are preferably not wider than half the thickness of the studs to which the completed unit is to be secured. Such maximum Width is preferred so that an edge such as 15 (as shown in FIG. 5) does not project beyond the edge of the carrying facing means such as panel 36, thus to minimize damage to it in handling and shipping. The score-lines 24- and 25 form foldable side panels 26 and 27 integral with said main panel and said mounting flanges for forming the insulating air space. They are designed to lie Iiush against a stud and to support and maintain the main panel 19 in its proper position.

The width of the side panel-form extensions 26 and 27 determines the thickness of the ultimate air space, which may be varied. However, the preferred width of the side panel-form extensions is one not greater than approximately halt' the thickness of the studs, this preference being set also by the practical desire to have no part of the collapsed form extended beyond the confines of the s; rigid facing means by which it is carried, as will later appear.

When the structure hereof is prefabricated to specifications, it is preferred to close the ends of the insulating air space. This may be done by means fixedly spacing the ends of main panel 19 from the plane formed by the mounted flanges 22 and 23 (FIG. S)

Accordingly, the sheet 13 in FIG. 1 is cut and scored to form a collapsible end closure. Score-line 3) defines the end of main panel 19 (see FIG.` 4), and score-line 31 forms end wall 32 as an integral panel-form extension of the main panel, and the inner edge of an end mounting flange 33, the width of which may be varied as desired,

preferably so that its edge 34 does not extend beyond the such as shown in FIG. 1 as they are secured to a rigid panel such as sheathing 36. FIG. 6 shows the structure of FIG. secured to studs after settinU-up the collapsible structures. The studs are designated 37, 38 and 39. Sheathing` 36 terminates at or short of the mid-line on the faces;37 and 39' of the outer studs, being naiied thereto and to the stud 38, as indicated at 40. By reason or" the preferred dimensions for mounting flanges 22 and 23, and for side walls Z and 27 of the insulating space (FIG. 3), the structure can be folded as shown at the left end of FIG. 5, so as not to project beyond the edge 36 of panel 36. In FIG. 5, it is to be understood that the mounting flanges 22 and 23 are secured to the panel 36 by suitable means such as staples 41 shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 7 represents a large panel to cover two stud spaces, with a panel `length such that the top and bottom provide facial area of the panel 36 Vfree from sheet material 13, for securement to the plates 42 and headers 43 between studs such as 44 in FIG. 8.

Given the dimensions of the inter-stud space, the panel 19 of the sheet structure is formed by scoring to those dimensions, leaving the scored extension 32-33 and the tabs 35-35 freely extending from both top and bottom as shown in FIG. 7 in the incomplcteiy folded form at the left. At the right, said parts are shown as folded to close the end, the tabs 35 and 35 being shown by dotted lines as inside the space. The end mounting flange 33 is Shown secured to the panel 36 by staples 46.

In FIG. 7, the bottom edge 57 of the panel 36 is furl ther from the main panel 19 than is the top edge 4S, thus to` receive the plate 42 which is shown thicker than the header 43.

Whenever a finished panel structure is cut to shorten it, thus providing an end with no integral end-closure, the cutting may be a complete cross-cut as in FIGS. 9 and l0, or a stepped one as shown in FIG. 1l. FIG. 12 shows a separate end-closure which may be used in such cases. It is preferably of sheet material 13, scored for folding as shown with end wall 51 for the space, securing strips 52 and 53 and optional tabs 54 and SIS. FIG. 9 shows the end-closure in place with fiange 52 adhesively secured to panel 19 by interfacial adhesive 56. Flange 53 is stapled into the edge face of panel 36. Tab 54' is tucked inside.

FIG. l0 shows an adhesive strip 58 securing flange 52 to panel 19, and adhesive strip 59 securing flange 53 to the sheathing 36.

FIG. 11 shows the adhesive strip 60 securing flange 52 to panel 19 and staples 61 securing flange 53 to the extending face of sheathing 36.

The structure illustrated has particular pertinence to use with framing members which are the conventional 2 x 4 inch studs. The preferred dimensions for the width of side panels 26 and 27, i.e., half the width of the stud, provides an insulating space 65 adjacent the panel, slightly `deeper than 3A inch. This leaves a space 66 less than 4 inches deep between the panel 19 and interior wall covering 67 (FIG. 6), each space having a reflective face when the sheet material has two reflective faces as indicated in FIG. 2. It is generally accepted that reflective-faced air space for insulation purposes should have a depth in the range from @d inch to 4 inches. The structure illustrated provides two such insulating spaces merely by installing the panel structure.

By securing the mounting flanges 22 and 23 to the rigid facing panel 36 at the areas to be covered by the framing members, the flanges become tightly clamped between said members and the panel 36. This gives an excellent wind and vapor seal, and a securemounting for the panel 19. However, certainv advantages of the invention are retained when usingfa modified structure as shown in FIG. 13. The panel facing of sheathing 70 is one shown especially to indicate. a use for closing but one space between two framing members. The mounting flanges 71 and 72 of sheet material 73 are turned inwardly toward each other and when at least the face 74 of-the sheet is reiiective, lthe flanges may overlap and thus provide insulation space .75 defined completely by reflective walls. Flanges 71 and 72 are-secured to the panel 70 preferably by adhesive material such as asphalt, although the first one of them secured to the mainpanel may be .tacked or stapled. Flange 72 is shown as secured by staples 76, and the overlapping flange 71 is shown as secured by asphalt 77.

The areas of the panel 79 which areas are adjacent the folded structure are shown as having a width half that of a framing member to hold them, such as the one indicated in dotted lines by the numeral 78. The broad main panel 79 has a width the same as that of the space to be filled. The side panels S0 and S1 are shown as wider thankhalf the thickness of a framing member 78. The cross-section of the collapsible structure out of its fiat-folded form is a parallelograrn, thus avoiding any scoring, creasing or folding of panel79, whereby to lessen the chance that such condition will produce breaks in any moisture-barrier layer included within panel 79.

The invention is not limited to the preferred forms described above, and modifications are contemplated. For example, the tabs 35 and 35 as shown in FIG. l may be otherwise formed to perform the same function. FIG. 14 is an enlarged fragmentary modification of the upper left portion of FIG. l, showing a tab 354a hinging on a folding line 24a which is an extension of folding line 24". In FIG. 14, all the prime-designated numerals correspond to the numerals in FIG. 1. The flange 22' and the side panel 26 terminate at cut-line 35b forming one edge of tab 35a of which the opposite edge 35C is an extension of folding line 31.

Other variations and modifications are contemplated as falling within the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

A wall-forming insulating structure for covering a rectangular space of predetermined dimensions,k comprising in combination rigid facing means having internally thereof an area of corresponding dimensions for covering said space and for extending beyond said space on four sides, a collapsible structure of sheet material carried by one face of said means, said structure being normally collapsed to flat form and being in part` openable and in part foldable to provide a three-dimensional rectangular insulating air space adjacent Saidiface, said structure including a main rectangular panel of size to fit snugly into said space, said panelbeing defined by folding lines, the

sheet material of said panel extending beyond said folding lines forming four extensions to a second set of folding lines, said four extensions being narrow strips of uniform width for defining the thickness of said air space, the sheet material of said strips extending beyond said second set of folding lines for use as mounting flanges, the extensions `of the panel along a first dimension being normally nnfolded and in the plane of the panel, the mounting flanges along the other dimension being secured to said facing means at locations spacing apart the corresponding second folding lines by a distance corresponding `substantially to said first dimension, whereby the structure may be folded flat on said facing means in the normal position of said unfolded extensions, and whereby on forming said air space by opening the structure the unfolded extensions may be folded to position their mounting flanges substantially coplanar with said facing means for securement thereto.

6 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 1/02 Ferres 229-32 1/ 25 Andrews 20-4 11/31 Forster 20--4 6/ 32 Finkeldey 20-4 10/ 35 Walter 206--60 5/52 Finck 154-45 FOREIGN PATENTS 1932 Great Britain.

JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Primary Examiner. 

